Calls on Leader Mitch McConnell to bring net neutrality legislation for an immediate vote in the Senate
Boston (October 1, 2019) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and Senate author of the Save the Internet Act, released the following statement after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C Circuit issued its opinion that affirmed that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) acted lawfully when it repealed the Open Internet Order.
“Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C Circuit issued an opinion that leaves the future of the free and open internet in question,” said Senator Markey, who introduced the first net neutrality bill in the House of Representatives in 2005. “When I attended the net neutrality court hearing earlier this year, I heard the FCC and broadband industry use tortured logic to defend the repeal of net neutrality and undermine strong rules for an open internet. Sadly, today’s court opinion doesn’t reflect the clear reality that Americans rely on the internet the way they rely on electricity or telephone service.
“But across America, support for a free and open internet is through the roof. Polling shows that American families in both political parties want strong net neutrality rules on the books. Today’s ruling allows states to continue the fight for net neutrality, and I believe a movement of activists and organizers will erupt across the country to push states to enact strong net neutrality rules. The need to stop the big internet service providers from blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization is as dire as ever.
“It is more imperative than ever that Congress enacts my ‘Save the Internet Act’. This legislation does exactly what the American people want – it restores the rules that ensure families aren’t subject to higher prices, slower internet speeds, and even blocked websites because the big broadband providers want to pump up their profits. I call on Leader McConnell to stop the obstruction and bring to a vote on this legislation that passed House of Representatives in April. The future of the internet as we know it depends on it.”
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